On faith and obedience {and the laundromat}

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I read an article (that for the life of me I can't find now) a while back about a man looking at a table full of pictures, pictures of kids waiting to be sponsored through Compassion.  Instead of taking time to weigh his options, to pray, to ponder, he just grabbed a photo.

His point was this: Instead of over-spiritualizing every decision, sometimes we just have to do the next obedient thing in front of us.  All of those children needed a sponsor; any choice was the right one.

When we look at Jesus' life and ministry, we see that over and over and over again.  Yes, He took many opportunities--surely more than are recorded in Scripture--to pray alone, but as He went about His day?  Jesus did the next right thing.

Blind man intersecting His path?  Help the guy see.

Crazy man screaming and carrying on because of demons?  Send them into some pigs.

Lady has had her period for twelve. years. straight?  Stop and tell her her faith has made her well.

Just do the next right thing.

And that little nugget came in handy during our bedbug scare earlier this year.  No, in fact, we did not have bedbugs (praise God!).  But we did have gnats and I read too much online about dust mites and...

Well, to be perfectly frank, I probably became paranoid.  I itched all over all the time.  I complained of invisible bugs crawling on me.  I claimed I had bug bites where I really only had dry skin (Professor and the kids had no itching or bites of any kind).

I was in panic attack mode.

So I informed Professor that I would be taking All The Laundry to the laundromat, washing it all in hot water, drying it all in commercial dryers until it wasn't much more than lint, and spending the rest of the month's grocery money on this venture.

Poor Professor.  He told me to do what I thought I had to do, so off I went, head spinning with fear and pockets jangling with quarters.

And can I just say that after hours of washing and drying All The Laundry Of Our Household, facing down the folding of said laundry with frayed nerves and little sleep?  I nearly came undone.

Do the next right thing.

I folded.  I sang hymns.  I didn't feel any better for singing, but I felt more obedient; in that moment, that was enough.

And later?  Later when I was in bed and All The Laundry was done and Professor was beside me breathing deep?

Then came the joy.  The gratitude that my bed was not infested with bed bugs and that even if it were, God would still be God (but, again, no bugs, no bugs, no bugs!!!).  The pleasure of tired muscles, of falling asleep easily.  The peace of trusting.

Sing God's praise out of obedience and joy will follow. 

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.  Here's lookin' at you, kid.